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The fake democracy of
the recent Lok Sabha elections can be contrasted with the real democracy in the
guerilla zones existing under the leadership of the CPI (ML) (PW). A reflection
of this, were the DAKMS conferences held in South Bastar from mid-March ’99 to
mid-June ’99.
The Dandakaranya
Adivasi Kisan Mazdoor Sanghatan (Peasants and Worker’s Organisation) of South
Bastar has a divisional committee for the entire region, under which exist 16
range committees, (each range has about 30 to 40 villages) under which are the
hundreds of village committees and mass membership. Though entire villages
support the movement, only those active and militant are given membership to the
DAKMS. The conferences were held in the backdrop of six months of state terror
(operation Vajra) leading to forced surrenders and large number of arrests of
leading DAKMS members. At the time of the conferences many were still in jail.
These conferences are held every two years. At the village and range level, for
some, it was the 7th Conference (Basaguda and Kunta’s 6 ranges), for others it
varied from the 1st to the 5th, depending when the DAKMS unit was formed. At the
Divisional level it was the 5th Conference in S. Bastar. The enitre conferences
were held under the guidance of the South Bastar Party DVC (SBST DVC).
It began with the
village level conferences led by the Party SAC (Squad Area Committee) of the
respective areas. In a typical village conference, first the General Body
meeting of the DAKMS members was called which reviewed the two years work and
the nature of committee functioning. As per the DVC decision the review
included:
(i) extent of
participation in agitations and calls given by the Party (ii) land distribution
(iii) development activities undertaken (iv) Tendu Patta struggles and drought
relief (v) the disputes settlement mechanism (Panch) (vi) forest protection,
(vii) campaign against social evils (viii) election boycott campaigns (ix)
repression and resistance. Then the regularity of committee functioning
(supposed to meet once a fortnight) and the frequency of holding gram sabhas was
reviewed. Then, after a criticism and self-criticism of the outgoing committee a
new committee was elected. In most cases the new committee was a mix of some old
members and some new ones.
After this process
was over, the entire village was called for a gram sabha. As leading members
face repression, no bad elements of the village or outsiders (relatives etc.,
from other villages) were allowed to attend the gram sabha. At this meeting the
work report, already assessed, was presented as also the self-criticism of the
old committee. Finally, the new committee was presented before the villagers
present.
In this process,
roughly 450 such village conferences were held over the 16 ranges, each electing
village committees of 5 to 7 members. After this process was over began the
range conferences.
Each range conference
had between 25 and 30 delegates, mostly comprising of the Presidents of the
village committees. These confer- ences were organised by the respective squads
and went on for three days. It was a work-review cum political educational camp.
The Agenda, as set by the SBT DVC, comprised :
(i) Welcome of the
Delegates (by SAC secretary or squad commander) and explanation of the purpose
of the conference
(ii) Explanation of
the programme and constitution of DAKMS, which is printed in Gondi.
(iii) Explanation of
the DAKMS political resolution on the national and international situation — in
this imperialism’s role in India, character of the ruling class parties,
communalism, reports on people’s struggles and revolutionary struggles, etc.,
were explained.
(iv) Assessment of
the work-report on the nine issues taken up at the village conferences.
(v) Criticism and
self-criticism of the old range committee and election of a new one.
These conferences
were held in secret in the forest, with posters, banners, red crepe paper
festoons decorating the conference hall. The conference began with a procession
with enthusiastic slogan shouting. After the DAKMS flag was hoisted by the
outgoing president, the procession went to the martyrs column to pay homage to
the martyrs. Delegates also brought along some food materials, while the
preparation of the ground site, kitchen work etc was done by the adjoining
village. Sentry duty and patrolling were done by the squad with the assistance
of the GRDs.
After the election of
the new committees, which also comprised some of the old and some new members, a
number of resolutions were passed. The resolutions included : opposition to
various social evils, against repression and informers, on various economic
demands, on the boycott of elections, against conversions to hinduism and
christianity, assistance to families of arrested/martyred comrades — both
economically and also in agricultural work, etc.
Finally, the 5th
South Bastar Divisional Conference of the DAKMS was held in a manner similar to
the range conferences, with the same topics, but covered in greater depth, over
a period of 4 days. The resolutions passed also included more political topics,
and a new divisional committee of five was elected from the 25 delegates. The
conference was inaugurated by the president of the divisional committee of the
DAKMS, Com. Subbanna by the hoisting of the red flag. After a procession and
homage to martyrs the proceedings were begun under the guidance of the South
Bastar Party DVC (SBST DVC). DVC member, Com. Janaki introduced the conference;
DVC member, Com. Sujata presented the work report; DVC secretary, Com. Gopanna,
presented the political resolution; and DKSZC secretariat member, Com. Latchanna,
concluded the conference with a rousing speech. Finally, an oath was taken by
the new committee.
Prior to the
conferences, the party SBT DVC had outlined some 14 major weaknesses within the
DAKMS, which were presented in all the conferences held. Some of these included
: lack of a mass line — reflected in autocratic functioning, not holding gram
sabhas, ignoring creation of a second line leadership, etc.; neglect of KAMS
(women’s organisation); ignoring the Jungle Bachao policy of the party; etc.
Through these conferences the white terror of the state was countered, bad
tendencies rectified, the mass line more firmly established and the entire level
of political consciousness raised. In the entire division over 10,000 members
attended the conferences and over 450 village committees were elected. Of the
committees roughly 55% were from poor peasant background while the rest were
from the middle peasantry.
This then was a true
democratic process, compared to the fake voting of the ruling-classes. This was
an example of the democratic functioning of a mass organisation of Dandakaranya.
The process is as elaborate in the functioning of the embryonic organs of
people’s political power — the Gram Rajya Committees.
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